Excavating-machine.



110.744,490. PATBNTED Novl` 17,1903.

W. COLE.

BXGAVATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAE. 9. 1903. v No MODEL. n 2 SHEETS-sum1,

' No. 744,490. I" .Y l PATENTED NOV. 17, 1903.

W. COLE.

BXGAV'ATING MA0HINB-- APYLIOATION FILED MAVBfS, 1903.

NO MODEL. Q 2 SHEETS*SHEET 2. i

f7@ Z l Inga '2 2' Y HF@ UNITED STATES Patented November 17, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

ExcAvA-rlNo-'M'AoHlNl-z. i

SPECIFICATION fermingfpert of Lettere Patent No. 744,490, dates November 17, 190e. Application filed March 9, 1903. i Serial No. 146,947. (No model.)

T0 a/ZZ whom it may concern;

v Be it known that I, WALTER Conn, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city and county of San Francisco, State ofl California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ExcavatinglMachines; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full,

clear, and exact description of the same. E

:"yond the forward end of the platform or frame The present invention is designed more particularly for the excavatingof irrigating ditches or trenches, during thel cuttingk of which is formed one of the side Walls or embankment for the ditch or trench, which wall or embankment is constructed ofthe material removed from the line ofcuti The machine is thus essentially ofuse in the construction of the ditch or trench through hillside or mountainous territ0ry,where the outer or lower wall of the trench or ditch must be built up or constructed during the work of excavation.

To comprehend "the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein- 1 Figure 1 is a side View ofthe apparatus, the same being illustrated as working within a partially-cut ditch or trench. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the mechanism disclosed by Fig. 1 of the drawings, and Fig. 3 i`san enlarged detail Iview of the operating mechanism for the hoist-drums.

The numeral 1 indicates ahy suitable style of a supporting-platform or base-frame'for the apparatus, the samebeing mounted upon and from 4the side embankment being conthe propelling-rollers 2 2 22. .These rollers rest upon the bottom of the trench'orditch being excavated. Upon the supporting-plat-- form or base-frame 1 is located, near the rear thereof, the operating-engine 3, which is used to operate the various devices employed in connection with the excavating apparatus.

' Near the forward end of the said'platform or base-frame is secured the uprights 5 5' 52, which uprights are arranged crosswise of the platform or base-frame an equidistance apart. These uprights are held rigid by means of theanchor-rods 6, which run fromthe top of the uprights Vto the platform or base-frame. From said uprights extend the supportingcables 7 7 "72, which cables at their outer ends connect, respectively, with the swinging arms 8 8' 82. -These arms are arranged at an inward end thereof.

entretien, the iewe'r en d ofthe Seid arme be- `ing pivoted to the plates 9 9' 92, secured to the platform or base-frame 1, near the for- Each swinging arm isy braced near its bottom by means of a depending stud 10, which bears upon the face of the plates 9 9' 92, Fig. 1 v'of the drawings.

' Each swinging arm vprojects a distance bel, the arms varying in length, so that the outer en d of each whenthey'are swung at a right angle to the platform or frame 1 will f reach laterally the same distance relative to the side `wall`10' ofthe embankment of the ditch or trench 102 being formed. f Three haulage or hoist cables 11 12 13 are employed to operate the cutting o r excavating buckets 14, 14', and 142. These cables work, respectively, over the arms 88' 82, each cable being attached to a hoist-drum 15. Said cables from the point 15 are divided,so to say', s o that from said point 1 5 each cable runs as two cables, The lower end of these cables are connected by hooks 16 to rings 152,

projecting from the sides of each bucket.l

The doublecable portion of the haulage-cables works through pulley-blocks 152,suspend ed from the cross-piece 16', attached to the outer end of each swinging arm, Fig. 2 ofthe drawings. Y 2

In order that the arms 8 8' 82` may swing in unison, each arm is united tothe other by j means of, the connecting rods or brace 162.

To swing the arms 8 8 8 2 laterally toward structed, the guy-cables 17 17 are employed.

One'of the cables is attached to the outer end Vof arm 8 and theother cable to the outer end portion of the arm 82. These cables are attached toand operateby the guy-drums 18 18'.

The hoist-drums 15, whichoperate the hoistcables 11`12'13,are driven from the crossshaft 182 by means of the sprocket-chains 19 19',which work over the sprocket-wheels 20,

secured to Ithe' drum-shaft 2O,"and` the sprocket-wheels 202, secured ytothe crossshaft 182. To the said crossshaft 1 82the clutchgears V2h22 are loosely mounted, which are thrown into locked engagement with the said shaft by means of the clutch mechanism 23,A Fig. 3 of the drawings. These gearwheels 21 22 mesh with and are driven from the drive-shaft 2l by means of the pinions 25, secured to the said shaft. This shaft 24 is driven by the engine-pistons 25' in the usual manner.

Upon the drive-shaft 2i the pinions 26 26 are slidably mounted. These pinions engage, respectively, with pinions 27 27', secured to the projecting end of the guy-drum shafts 28 28'. The pinions 26 26 are moved in and out of mesh with the pinions 27 27 by meansA of the lever 29, which actuates the slide-sleeve 29', connecting the pinions 26 26. lWhen the pinions 26 and 27 are in mesh, the guy-drum 18 is thrown into operation, while when the pinions 26 and/27 are in mesh the guy-drum 18 is placed into operation.

By means of the band-brake 24', which acts upon the brake-drum 242, the cross-shaft 182 is held locked against movement, when the gears 2l 22 are released from the said shaft. The band-brake is controlled by lever 252, the releasing of the band-brake permitting the weight of the excavatingbuckets to unwind the hoist-cables.

To the outer ends of the drum-shaft 20 outside of the platform or frame l the trimmingwheels 30 30' are attached. These wheels are employed to trim or dress the cut side walls of the ditch or trench. wheels are provided with aseries of projecting cuttingteeth orknivesSlandlaterally-project ing teeth or blades 312. These blades or cutting projections dress or trim the side walls and bottom side edges of the ditch or trench, the wheels carrying the cutting teeth, blades, or projections for trimming or dressing the walls being rotated by the operation ot` the drum-shaft.

As the drums 15 are driven in one direction they serve to wind up the haulage-cables, causing the excavating-buckets let 14E 142, which are held at a slight inclination by workmen within the trench or ditch so as to present their-cutting edge to the surface of the ground, to be drawn against the surface of the earth. The earth as cut by the buckets enters and fills the same. Then the buckets reach approximately the position indicated by Fig. 1 of the drawings, each bucket will be loaded with earth to be removed. By this time the haulage-cables will exert almost a direct upward pull, as the buckets stand relatively directly 'beneath the outer end of each swinging arm,

which raises the buckets clear of the line of work. As the buckets are raised their full upward distance the handle 3130i' each bucket bears against a tilting block 32, secured to the under face of each swinging arm, until the bucket-handle Sliengages with the hooked end 32 of said block. The guy-drum 18 is then thrown into operation so as to draw in- Ward the guy-cable 17 in order to swing outward the swinging arms and place the excavating buckets with their loads immediately above the line of dump or side of the ditch or trench. The moment the swinging arms have been brought into proper position Said trimmingthe releasing mechanism for the hoist-drums is thrown into operation to release the haulage-cables. As released the weight of the loaded excavating-bucket acts against the handle locked to the tilting blocks and causes same to act as a hinge to permit theswinging over of the loaded buckets. As the outerend thereofswings downward each bucket dumps its load, which material serves in the construction of the outer side wall 10 of the trench or ditch. Vith the dumping ofthe buckets'the operator or engineer releases the guy-drum 1S and throws into operation the guy-drum 18, thereby causing the guy-cable 17' to be wound upon its drum 18' in order to draw the swinging armsinward or to their original position over the line of work and permit of the buckets being lowered for another cut.

It will bevunderstood that during the work of excavating the workmen hold the buckets in proper position by means of the handles '313. As the buckets are lowered within the trench or ditch each workman draws the same Ias near to the front edge of the platform or frame 1 as possible, the purpose being to make a long cut before the buckets reach the posi- Ation set forth in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The platform or frame l is about twenty feet in width, and the swinging arms pivoted thereto are arranged a distance of about five feet apart. It is required that the bucket suspendedfrom each of the arms when the said arms are swung over the side embankment deposit their loads in the same line. For this reason the middle and outer arms, which are farther from the embankment than the inner arm, are required to be longer than the inner arm and to differ in length as between themselves. The inner arm projects beyond the front of the platform or base about ten feet, the middle arm extending fifteen feet or five feet beyond the innerarm, while the outerarm extends twenty feet beyond the platform orframe or five feet over the middle arm.

As the excavating of the trench or ditch approaches a distance equal to the projection of the shortest projecting arm the entire apparatus is moved Jforward, so as not to delay the work of excavation. This may be done in anylsuitable manner. Aconvenient mode of propulsion for the apparatus is to insert an anchor a distance ahead of the line of work and attach haulage ropes thereto, which 4ropes may be woundjupon the gipsies 33 332.

Such is a mere suggestion as to a simple means for propelling the apparatus forward.

It ofttimes is required that blasting be resorted to during the work of excavating. Owing to the close proximity of the apparatus to the work being done, it is desirable to protect the machinery from liability of being damaged by the explosion of the dynamite or powder used during blasting. For this purpose a metallic apron is employed, which consists of a series of sections 34, hinged to each other so as to be foldable one upon the other. These sections in length equal the width of the platform or frame l, to which the lowermost section 34 is secured immediately below the swinging arms. From the upper section extend the cables or ropes 342, which work vthrough pulley-blocks 35', depending from the under face of each swinging arm. To raise the apron in order to protect the machinery, it is only required to pull upon the cables 342, when the sections will gradually unfold andbe raised similar to a Venetian blind, thus forming an inclined metallic shield or wall for the forward end of the machine. By simply releasing the cables 342 the sections will lower and fold one upon the other.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new,'and desired to be protected by Letters Patent, isl

l. In an apparatus of the described character, the combination with the platform or.

base-frame, of a series of swinging arms pivoted to the said platform or base and projecting therefrom at an inclination, a hoist-cable Working over each swinging arm, excavatingbuckets attached to the hoist-cables, means forvraising and lowering the hoist-cables, and mechanism whereby the arms are swung outward and inward.

2. In an apparatus for the described purpose, the combination with the platform or base, of a plurality of projecting arms pivoted at one end to the base or platform, a hoistlcable working over each arm, an excavatingbucket .attached to the outer end of each hoist-cable, mechanism whereby the hoistcables are raised and lowered, device carried by each arm for engaging with the excavating-buckets when raised their full distance, and means whereby the pivoted arms are swung toward and from the side embankment or Wall of the ditch or trench.

3. In an apparatus for the described purpose, the combination with the base or platform, of a series of swinging arms pivoted thereto at their lower end, each armprojecting at an inclination beyond the forward end of the said base or platform,a hoist-cable working over each arm, an excavating-bucket attached to the lower end of each hoist-cable,

mechanism mounted upon the base or platsigned to protect the operating mechanism from damage during blasting.

4. In Aan apparatus of the described character, the combination with the base or platform, of a series of arms pivoted at their lower end to the same and projecting therebeyond at an inclination, operating mechanism mounted upon the base or platform, and a foldable shield or apron arranged to be opened in advance of the swinging arms to protect the operating mechanism against damage during the operation of blasting within the line of work. 5. In an apparatus of the described character, the combination with the base or plat.- form, a series of forwardly-projecting arms pivoted thereto, a hoist-cable working over each arm, an excavating-bucket attached to the lower end of each hoist-cable, mechanism mountedupon the base or platform 4for raising and lowering the hoist-cables and swinging the arms toward and from the side em-v bankment, and Atrimming means arranged at the sides of the base or platform, said-means being actuated during the raising and lowering of the hoist-cables.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand. WALTER COLE.

Witnesses: N. A. ACKER,

D. B. RICHARDS. 

